LOVE
by Hyuuga-sama
Summary: I'm heading to Konoha...so nervous about the hearing...I don't look forward to defending my entire village...I hope I'll see Shikamaru while I'm there...I wonder where my guide is...
1. Chapter 1

A/N: In case you haven't noticed, Naruto is not my favorite character. He's a background character in some of my stories, but never the main character. You can get enough of that from the show or the manga. I write about the background characters from the show as the main characters. Anyhow, this story is my first chapter story. OOC; sorry. I don't know how long it will be; that depends on how many reviews I get. Rated M for future chapters. Pairing - ShikamaruTemari. From Temari's POV.

---

LOVE

By Kurayami-Tomoshibi

Chapter 1

The crisp breeze blew across the land, caressing the near-bare branches of the tree I had chosen to rest beneath, making them shiver. I looked up and watched light filter through the scant leaves remaining, turning them orange, red, and gold in the fading autumn sun. Smiling, I rested back against the trunk, enjoying the feel of the warm sun on my cheeks. I loved autumn in fire country; the sun was still warm, but the breeze was chilly. I pulled my coat up around me, snuggling my face into the fluffy trim of the collar. The bitter wind blew around me, tugging at my ponytails and reddening my cheeks from the chill. I closed my eyes as I felt the leaves falling off the tree, floating dolefully around me like torn butterfly wings. I looked up mournfully at the tree, watching it silently weep for its lost beauty.

I wondered where my guide was. I had been given enough information to make it this far and I was told to stop somewhere within this general vicinity to wait for a guide to take me to the village. Relations between us were not, shall I say, friendly after our attack on Konoha and, even though we turned on Oto and forced them out of Konoha, changing the war, we still had started it and Hokage wasn't getting along with Gaara too well. Three years still hasn't changed the grudge between our villages. Some of the ninjas from the Sand and Hidden Leaf have become friends again. But relations weren't friendly between the rulers, which made the Kage Fanatics hate the other village. So I wasn't allowed into Konoha without some sort of guide from the village. I was hoping that someone I knew would come and get me.

"Temari-san, I knew I would find you here!"

I turned my head to the voice. I heard the crunching of brusque fall leaves beneath his feet as he approached me. He held out his hand to me; I took it. I felt the strength in his fingers and arm as he pulled me to my feet. He smelled of vanilla and I caught a whiff of sake on his breath. I looked up into eyes darker than the night sky, but just as sparkling with stars. His hair was in the shape of a fruit bowl and I instantly knew who it was.

"Lee! It's so good to see you!" I embraced the Taijutsu master, pressing my chest against his. He gently rubbed my back in a shy manner, as if he was afraid of breaking such a fragile thing. I looked up into his honest, sparkling gaze; he hadn't changed since I had last seen him.

"You look well, Temari-san. Certainly grown, haven't you?" Lee stepped back to admire me; I blushed and crossed my arms in front of my chest. I had grown, hadn't I? Three years can do that to a girl. My legs had grown longer, as had my hair. My hips were a bit wider and my waistline a tad thinner. My breasts finally filled my clothes and my gaze had softened some.

Lee laughed and I took my turn to admire him. He had healed excellently after the battle with Gaara and the Taijutsu master no longer needed stitches. He walked with an air of authority now that his limp was gone. His neck was covered by the high collar of a blue jacket with a white fur trim; this came down to his waist, where the red Konoha forehead protector held its place of honor. The jacket's sleeves covered the base of his hands, but I could still see his trademark bandages around his fingers. He continued to wear the orange legwarmers and that ridiculous green spandex, but that was made up for by the jade-green vest he wore. The vest marked a Jonín or chuunin of the village.

"You're a Jonín now?" I asked. Lee looked down at his vest and smiled.

"Yea... finally made it."

"How's Gai?" I recalled Lee's youth-obsessed sensei, who Lee had admired for so long. He laughed heartily and brushed his hair out of his eyes, revealing his large eyebrows. I paled a bit at the sight of them. They were so DORKY!

"Gai-sensei is as youthful as ever! He and Kakashi are still evenly matched!" Lee smiled his most genuine smile, his teeth giving their trademark sparkle.

"I think it's safe to assume that you're the one Hokage sent to get me?" I asked, my left eyebrow creeping up as I spoke.

"Yep! That's me!" Lee purred happily. I grinned, my eyes flashing him a look of utmost gratitude. He walked behind me and pushed my forehead protector, resting on my forehead now, down over my eyes to keep the way to the village a secret. I felt him slip his arm around my shoulder. I reached up and entwined my fingers with his to assure myself that he wasn't going to do anything stupid. He squeezed my hand reassuringly.

"I am so sorry for this, Temari-san. I do not want the way to my village to be a secret from your village. But this is the way it must be."

I sighed.

---

"I will remove your forehead protector when we reach the village," Lee explained to me as we walked through the open countryside, "there, I will pass you off to someone else, who'll take you to the Hokage's palace for a meeting. Then, someone else will take you back to where you will be staying." I groaned at the long to-do list; I didn't want to see the Hokage any more than anybody from Suna or Oto wanted to.

Suddenly, harsh voices came to my ears. Lee tightened his grip about me, signaling to me that a squadron of ANBU Black Ops had come to search us over. They came to rest next to us, the grass whistling about them as they landed.

I heard a familiar voice say, "Halt! Who goes there? Oh, Lee... Who's that you have? Her forehead protector says she's a foreigner, and one of them we don't like!"

"She is the one whom the Kazekage sent to speak for their village." Lee responded coolly.

The other voice spoke again, "Ah. Good to see you again, Temari-san. My apologies for the sudden attack."

"Kiba," I whispered, "You sound well."

"Right as rain, Temari-san. Lee," Kiba turned to Lee and I heard Akamaru land on the ground, "I'm sorry for the cold welcome. We've gotten reports of squads of Otogakure spies hanging around in these forests. We can't be too careful." I felt Akamaru sniffing about me; I bent down and petted his small head. He yipped and licked my hand. I heard Kiba chuckle and felt Akamaru being lifted from my touch.

"Well, you'd better hurry on into the village. It's supposed to get cold tonight." Kiba warned before I heard him hop away into the trees.

Lee sniffed distastefully, putting his arm back around me.

---

"Almost there, Temari-san!" Lee said happily. The sounds of a lively marketplace reached my ears. It was distant, but was better than the silence, the wind, and the sounds of our feet on the ground.

"Thank goodness. I was starting to think we'd never get there!" I responded, somewhat relieved by the news. Once I reached the village, I wondered who I would meet. Maybe I'd see Tenten, my old opponent, and her broody-ass prodigy boyfriend, Hyuuga Neji. I might see Uchiha Sasuke, the local hottie. And even... Nara Shikamaru.

My heart stung.

---

I grinned with relief when Lee pulled the forehead protector from over my eyes, repositioning it on my forehead. The marketplace was as busy as ever, the bustling crowds filling each different stand. I smelled incense, fresh-baked meats, and the bitter crispness of the chilly air.

"Let's see," Lee began, shading his eyes with his hand as he searched around for someone, "He should be around here somewhere..."

"Temari. Lee."

I jumped as a deep voice whispered in my ear. I felt the touch of long, thin wisps of brown hair brush against my arms. I knew that a pair of seething white eyes were gazing into the back of my head, burning away at the false front I was instantly building up to prevent them from seeing into my soul. The breath caught in my throat as I felt his dignified air float by me. He moved to gaze at me from the front; he was much taller than I. I looked up and, as I had guessed, a pair of livid colorless eyes gazed back at me from beneath a curtain of brown bangs and a halo of green, the curse mark on his forehead.

"So nice to see you, Neji." I said politely. He smiled, bowed and kissed my hand like the gentleman he was. Woah. Talk about formality.

Lee glared at his rival. It was a defiant stare, but I saw the glint of mischievousness in his onyx orbs.

"Good to see you, Neji." Lee said bluntly. Neji sent a smirk at his adversary. They exchanged heated looks with each other before Neji bowed curtly and Lee returned the gesture.

"...I understand that I'll be taking her, now." Neji stated tersely. Lee nodded in a brisk manner. I looked between them, their intense gazes locked together. If I didn't distract Neji, he and Lee would get into a frenzied argument, and that would be followed by a fight.

"Why don't we go, Neji?" I suggested respectfully, not wanting to infuriate him. He turned his ivory gaze to me; kindness filled their monochrome depths. His thin lips curved into a small smile and he offered me his arm. I gladly took it, eager to leave Lee. Before we could, however, Lee grabbed my hand. He pressed a small item into my hand; I looked at it. It was a small rubber Oriental dragon coiled around a shiny metallic orb.

"Show that to Hokage-sama." Lee explained, "That way, she'll know that I did as I was told." He stood back and waved to me, a shiny-toothed grin plastered to his lips.

I nodded and waved goodbye as Neji briskly rushed me along into the crowd.

---

"Well, here we are." The traditional Hyuuga robes Neji was wearing billowed around his legs and chest as he abruptly came to a halt. I stopped and looked about the palace. It was just like Gaara's, with the substitution of plaster for sand. Neji walked quickly up the stairs; I almost had to run to keep up with him.

He stopped at the door to the palace. He bowed deeply in front of it, his long hair trailing over the steps as he did. The door shook, then creaked open.

Neji looked at me. I looked back. He reached out and grabbed my arm gently. I watched a white fire bubble up in his gaze as he stepped closer to me. The extra inches he had on me made me feel vulnerable; I backed up slightly. At that, he paused, hesitated. I went up to him, took his hand, pressed my forehead to his chest in a small gesture of gratitude, and let a hand wander up to brush the bangs out of his eyes. They had a gentleness smoldering like pearly coals in their gaze.

I felt him press something into my hand, just as Lee had done. I looked down and opened my palm; in it rested a small rubber wolf. It was white, all white, even the eyes were, and was coiled, like the Oroborous, around a circle. This was white as well, and marred with craters. The moon.

"This shows that I did my job." Neji said, his deep voice reverberating through my head. "Give this and Lee's to Hokage-sama."

I felt him gently push me into the light of the palace's interior. I turned to thank him, but no one was there. No one was even out on the street anywhere nearby.

A strange man, that Hyuuga Neji...

---

"Ah. Temari. I was expecting you here." Tsunade's voice rang out clearly in the lofty chamber. A number of important-looking ninjas sat around her, and all of them were staring at me, scrutinizing me. I swallowed hard. The fate of my village was at stake.

Tsunade held out her hand expectantly; I dug around in my pocket for the figures from Lee and Neji. Pulling them out, I tossed them to her. She caught them deftly and examined each of them carefully.

"Very good. Lee and Neji did get their duties completed. Give them my regards when you see them again." Tsunade said, pleased with my friends' work. She tossed me the figurines and I caught them with shaking hands. My muscles were tightened beneath my veil of calmness. I appeared calm, cool, and collected, but beneath the surface was an earthquake of stress waiting to happen. Just what I needed.

"Well, you have prepared yourself for this moment," Tsunade's calming tone made me relax a bit, "So, why not take a shot at it. This means life or death for your village." I stared out at all the faces of the people behind Hokage-sama. I recognized very few, but one stood out. He sat next to Tsunade, his flaming red hair and dark-lined eyes catching my eye.

I gulped. Bowed. Shivered.

Gaara.

I slowly took note of the respectful nod of the head he gave me. He filled the Kazekage robes well. His hair and love symbol contrasted the blue and white of his robes brightly. A small smile broke the surface of his lips, his eyes giving me an honest and encouraging look. He knew I could do it.

I smiled.

"Lady Tsunade, members of the Board... I'd like to present my village's case."

---

A/N: Sorry for the strangeness...this story was written before I knew anything about what really happens...NO FLAMES!!!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Chapter two. Reviews said that they wanted the cliffhanger over, so I appeased them. Sorry it's so short. ;; Enjoy!

LOVE  
By Kurayami-Tomoshibi

Chapter 2

"I see... is that all you have to say, Temari?" Tsunade said kindly, the members of the Board scribbling furiously on their papers. Gaara looked fairly pleased with me. I hesitated, looked Gaara's way, as if beckoning to him for help. He nodded the smallest of nods.

"Yes." I replied strongly. Tsunade nodded and the members of the Board all filed out into a small room to debate my case. Hokage-sama was the last to leave, closing the door on me. I was alone.

"I am pleased with you, my sister." I felt Gaara's thin arms envelop me from behind, his robes fluttering around us. He rested his chin on my left shoulder, his hat and veil shielding me from his apparently-pleased gaze. I smiled and blindly nuzzled his jawbone with my nose. He chuckled and tightened his grip around me. I knew that if Kankuro was here, he'd be hugging me with all his might, squeezing me until neither of us could breathe.

Gaara, as if reading my mind, said, "I wish Kankuro could be here to witness your triumph."

"If he were, you'd have to refrain from using big words like that, Gaara." I laughed. The Kazekage laughed quietly and I caught a glimpse of sparkling white teeth from behind the veil. He turned his head to look at me; a small smile was painted like a barely-there line across his thin lips. His eyes smiled more broadly, their turquoise depths laughing brightly at my success. I smiled.

"Ahem," Gaara and I jumped at the sound of Tsunade clearing her throat. She smiled deviously out at us from where she stood in the doorway of the judgment room. Gaara and I were apprehensive as she proclaimed the decision.

"We are all unanimously in your favor."

I almost collapsed with happiness and relief.

---

Gaara led me out of the palace. At the door, he embraced me, his robes engulfing me. I felt so warm with his strong arms about me; I could've just told him to take me home. But I had other business to attend to here. Gaara released me reluctantly.

"Take care of yourself." He gave me his trademark saying, giving me a small smile as he did. With that, he vanished in a swirl of sand. The remaining sand grains settled to the ground; I watched them, a peaceful feeling spreading throughout my body.

Suddenly, something shiny and out of place caught my eye. On the ground, where the sand particles had come to rest, was a small figurine. I picked it up and looked at it; it was my brother's seal, a small rubber raccoon sitting with her tail over her paws. On her tail rested a bright red ball. I pulled Neji and Lee's seals out of my pocket; the three matched each other in size and texture.

"Are you gonna come or keep me waiting all night, woman?" I instantly recognized the voice. Whirling around, I came to face my next escort. He was standing there in his usual attire, bathing in the light of the palace. His light brown hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and his eyes, black and intelligent, had their usual dark circles beneath them. His air was tranquil, yet lazy, just as it always had. However, I felt humble in his presence because of the jade-green vest he wore, one that resembled Lee's. The stub of a cigarette hung loosely out of his mouth, the end of it burning red like my brother's hair. He gave me his best smile, one that was humble, genuine, and, perhaps most importantly of all, lazy. I threw myself at him, catching him off-guard in a tight hug. I heard the clank of his forehead protector as it was upset from its usual position on his arm. I snuggled my head into his neck, smelling fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookies and cigarette smoke on his soft skin. I sighed deeply as his hands came to rest on my hipbones.

"Shikamaru, you don't know how much I've missed you..."


End file.
